The Powers That Be: Daily

Epizody

• The People v. David Ellison 21.07.2026 19min

  Eriq Gardner joins Peter to get into the legal weeds of the antitrust lawsuit targeting the Paramount–WBD merger. Eriq breaks down how the Democratic attorneys general are aiming to delay the process, hoping that a drawn-out fight will squeeze David Ellison and Paramount’s legal team on both political and financial fronts. 
• Media Monday: Brian Tyler Cohen’s Media Gospel 20.07.2026 26min

  In this special episode, Brian Tyler Cohen, progressive content creator and author of The Day After, joins Peter to diagnose the Democratic Party’s persistent media problem. Cohen digs into why the party's reliance on traditional press has left it flat-footed against Trump’s effective use of various platforms. He also takes aim at the F.C.C. under Brendan Carr, and makes the case that broader outreach—and far less infighting—is the only way forward for his party.
• Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising, from Future Hindsight 18.07.2026 39min

  Sharing a new series from Future Hindsight, Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising. Occupy Wall Street is the story of the improbable becoming possible. In 2008, millions of people were devastated by an economic crash caused by Wall Street greed, but it wasn’t until 2011 that there was a mass response from the Left. A call to protest went out, and thousands of people responded. They raged against a system that was rigged against them and tried to create their own anti-capitalist village in a small Manhattan park. The movement quickly spread across the country, inspiring hundreds of occupations and a new generation of activists.Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising, is told through the voices of activists who camped out in Zuccotti Park for almost two months, getting inside the drama of a movement that grew rapidly, felt both transcendent and chaotic, and then violently flamed out. Occupy changed the national conversation about capitalism, popularized the language of the 99%, and inspired a generation of activists. As we approach Occupy’s 15th anniversary this September, this series offers a reminder that collective action can reshape what seems possible. Listen to more episodes at http://swap.fm/l/Occupy!
• Can Spanx Survive the Skims Era? 17.07.2026 24min

  Malique Morris joins Peter to examine the fall of Spanx, whose elastane stranglehold on the category loosened dramatically once the Kardashians and Skims entered the picture. Then Malique explains why so many retailers and fashion brands are looking outside the industry entirely to bring in executives from unrelated fields to overhaul their products and storytelling.
• Bonta’s Trust Issues 16.07.2026 16min

  Dylan Byers joins Peter to break down the strengths and weaknesses of the 12-state antitrust lawsuit brought by Democratic attorneys general in a bid to block the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger. Then Dylan digs into the anxieties gripping CBS News, where 60 Minutes is just about two months out from their new season amid the mass exodus of on-air talent and producers.
• Apple Declares War On OpenAI 15.07.2026 19min

  Ian Krietzberg joins Peter to break down Apple’s shocking lawsuit against OpenAI, which accuses Sam Altman’s company of running a sweeping corporate espionage campaign to steal trade secrets from Cupertino. Then Ian gets into the politics of A.I. this midterm season—and why voter anxiety about A.I. and data centers hasn’t quite caught fire at the ballot box yet.
• Can the G.O.P. Survive Losing Lindsey? 14.07.2026 19min

  Mariana Sotomayor joins Peter to examine the sudden loss of Lindsey Graham and what it means for a Republican Party that’s losing its old-school operators faster than it can replace them. Then they turn to Trump’s continued pressure campaign for the Save America Act, and whether Hill Republicans have any realistic path to passing it before the midterms.
• Media Monday: Sun Valley Murmurs & Platner Aftershocks 13.07.2026 23min

  Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to exchange notes on this year’s Silicon Valley catwalk and the event’s new position in the firmament. The duo also discuss the media’s role in the Graham Platner fiasco.
• Trump Fatigue Meets Its Match 11.07.2026 33min

  The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan join Dylan for an inside look at their new book, ‘Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,’ which moved an extraordinary 300,000 copies in its first week. They shed light on their reporting process, why the book has cut through despite widespread Trump fatigue in media, where their reporting partnership goes from here, and more.
• Wall Street’s I.P.O. Bubble Watch 10.07.2026 16min

  Bill Cohan joins Peter to make sense of an I.P.O. market that may be in way over its head. He discusses Bending Spoons, whose portfolio of old internet companies just went public at 35 times EBITDA, and Jersey Mike’s, the popular sandwich chain gunning for a $12 billion valuation. Bill explains why both are probably overvalued and evidence that Wall Street banks are willing to sell anything for a quick buck.
• MLS’s New Goals & MLB’s Labor Curveball 09.07.2026 18min

  John Ourand joins Peter to debrief on a blockbuster World Cup that’s delivering massive TV ratings and renewing optimism among soccer officials about the sport’s future in the U.S. Then they turn to MLB, where an otherwise terrific season is heading into the All-Star break under the familiar cloud of player–owner labor tensions.
• Sky’s the Limit 08.07.2026 15min

  Dylan Byers joins Peter to make the case that Versant is more than its declining linear assets—pointing to the acquisition of Full Swing, the popular golf simulator, as a sign of broader ambitions beyond cable. Dylan also weighs into Sky’s acquisition of ITV, which will make the combined company an attractive acquisition target—assuming they can clear the regulatory hurdles ahead.
• Platner’s Maine Squeeze 07.07.2026 17min

  Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to break down the Democrats’ Senate fiasco in Maine, where progressive nominee Graham Platner is reconsidering his campaign after an ex-girlfriend publicly accused him of sexual assault. Then Leigh Ann walks through a fascinating research project that’s been tracking a core group of voters since 2024—and what their evolving feelings about Donald Trump reveal about the political landscape today.
• Media Monday: Comcast Arbitrage & Axel’s Telegraph Thesis 06.07.2026 24min

  After a restful fourth, true patriots Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby reunite to dig into the second-order effects of the Comcast split news. Who will buy NBCU? What will happen to the news division? Was this cleavage foreshadowed when Brian Roberts overpaid for NBA rights? Then they segue into Axel Springer’s likely vision for The Telegraph in the U.S. market.
• Introducing: Money Moves with Jill Schlesinger 05.07.2026 1min

  There’s a lot of dopey financial advice out there. Jill Schlesinger is here to call it out, answer your questions, break down the financial news that actually matters, and help you manage your money without losing your mind. No jargon. No judgment. Just clear, actionable financial guidance about saving, investing, buying a home, managing your career, and deciding how to spend your hard-earned dollars.  When it’s time to panic, Jill will tell you. When everyone else is panicking and you shouldn’t be, Jill will tell you that too. Your money. Your move. Let’s go.
• Fox Sports’ Golden Boot 04.07.2026 43min

  C.E.O. Eric Shanks joins John to gush about the World Cup and Fox’s decade-long investment in soccer. He discusses his biggest surprises, Fox’s always-on approach to coverage, Zlatan Ibrahimović’s unlikely TV career, the controversial hydration breaks, the looming 2030 rights war, and more.
• Sam Altman Biopic Drama & Hollywood’s Box Office Bounce! 03.07.2026 15min

  Matt Belloni joins Peter with the scoop on where Luca Guadagnino’s big OpenAI movie is landing after Amazon dropped it. Matt also digs into the surprisingly strong box office numbers in 2026, and why Hollywood is on pace to have its most profitable year since the pandemic.
• Vance’s Foreign Policy Pivot 02.07.2026 18min

  Julia Ioffe joins Peter with fresh reporting on J.D. Vance’s increasingly pointed criticism of Israel as the U.S. works through its ceasefire deal with Iran, explaining how Vance is playing to a nationalist populist base that’s grown deeply skeptical of American involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts.
• A24’s “Betrayal” & Netflix’s NBC Wish List 01.07.2026 18min

  Julia Alexander joins Peter to explain why A24—cinephiles’ favorite studio—just struck a $75 million partnership with Google’s DeepMind. The studio's fanbase is alarmed, but Julia makes the case for why fears of a sellout are premature, at least for now. Then she turns to Comcast’s decision to spin off NBCUniversal and breaks down which NBC properties are most likely to catch Netflix’s eye.
• Can NBCUniversal Survive Without Comcast? 30.06.2026 13min

  Dylan Byers joins Peter to make sense of Comcast’s bombshell decision to spin off NBCUniversal—including NBC News, Peacock, Bravo, and much more—after 15 years in the content business. Dylan discusses the strategic thinking behind the move and addresses the elephant in the room: while Netflix, Amazon, and Apple would love the I.P. and content libraries, nobody in streaming wants to inherit a linear business.